Using Content ID

Content ID is YouTube's automated, scalable system that enables copyright owners to identify YouTube videos that include content they own.

YouTube only grants Content ID to copyright owners who meet specific criteria. To be approved, you must own exclusive rights to a substantial body of original material that is frequently uploaded by the YouTube user community.

YouTube also sets explicit guidelines on how to use Content ID. We monitor Content ID use and disputes on an ongoing basis to ensure these guidelines are followed.

As the copyright owner, you provide YouTube with a reference copy of your eligible content. YouTube uses the reference to scan uploaded videos for matching content. When a match is found, YouTube applies your preferred policy: to monetize, track, or block the video in question.

You add your copyrighted content to the YouTube content management system by delivering reference files (audio, visual, or audiovisual) and metadata that describes the content and which territories you own it in.

For each item you deliver, YouTube creates an asset in the content management system. Depending on the type of content and your chosen delivery method, YouTube also creates a viewable YouTube video, a reference for Content ID matching, or both.

Content ID scans user uploads and identifies matches.

Content ID continuously compares new uploads to the references for your assets. Matching videos are automatically claimed on behalf of the asset, and your specified match policy is applied to the claimed videos before they are published on YouTube.

Content ID also performs a "legacy scan" to identify matching videos uploaded before the reference. A full legacy scan can take up to 6 months to complete; recent uploads and popular videos are scanned first.